Grain drier



NOV. 9, 1948-l R. .1. STAPLES, SR., vE'r Al. 2,453,278

GRAIN DRIER Filed Nav. 13, 1945 2 shams-sheet 1 Nov. 9, 1948. R. J. -sTAPL-Es, SR., ET AL' GRAIN DRIER 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAIN DRIER Robert J. Staples, Sr., and Henrietta Staples, Houston, Tex.

Application November 13, 1945, Serial No. 628,208

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to a grain drier.

An object of the invention is to provide equipment of the character described embodying a closed body having a drying chamber therein with a hopper, or hoppers, at the top of the body, means for conveying the grain to be dried through the chamber and with a discharge outlet at the bottom of the chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grain drier of the type above specied equipped also with a conveyor leading from said discharge outlet and arranged to deliver the discharged grain back into a hopper at the top of the body whereby the grain may be rerun through the chamber if not suiiciently dried on the rst run. v

It is a further object of the invention to provide a grain drier of the character described comprising a body which contains a closed chamber and whose cover is formed into hoppers, preferably two. with a series of upper, intermediate and lower conveyors through the chamber with chutes leading from the hoppers to the upper conveyor and with chutes leading from the upper conveyor to the intermediate conveyors and from the intermediate conveyors to the bottom conveyor with a discharge chute leading from the bottom of this last conveyor and with an elevating conveyor leading from the discharge chute and discharging the grain back up into one of said hoppers to be rerun with means for heating said chamber.

The drier has been specially designed to be mounted on a vehicle whereby the conveyors may be driven from the vehicle motor and the drier readily transported from place to place.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional View, partly broken away.

vFigure 2 is a plan view of the drier as mounted on a vehicle.

Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and partly broken away.

Figure 4 is an end view shown partly broken I away.

chamber 2. In the present illustration the top of the body is closed by the hoppers 3, 3 arranged alongside and which terminate, at the bottom, in the longitudinal troughs ll, 4 extending from end to end of the respective hoppers. In these troughs are the spirals 5 which are xed on the shaf ts 6, 6, said troughs, spirals and shafts forming conveyors arranged to convey the grain in the respective hoppers toward the discharge ends of said troughs.

Leading from said discharge ends are the downwardly converging chutes 1, l'.

At one end of the body the shafts 6 project beyond said body and said projecting ends have the sprocket wheels 8, 8 fixed thereon over whch the driving sprocket chains 9, 9 operate and these sprocket chains also operate over corresponding sprocket wheels I, I0 which are loosely mounted on the projecting end of a longitudinal shaft I I mounted in the body. The sprocket wheels I9 may be alternatively clutched with the shaft II by means of a jaw clutch I2 which is splined on said shaft and which may be operated by the clutch lever i3 so that conveyors at the bottom of the respective hoppers may be alternatively driven and grain delivered from one hopper or the other as desired.

Fixed on the shaft I I there is a spiral I4 :which rotates in a trough I5, into one end of which the chutes 'I discharge. Leading from the other end of the trough I5 there is a chute I 5 and beneath this chute I6 there isa trough I'i. In the trough I 'I there is an axial shaft I8, one end of which projects beyondthe body I and has the sprocket wheels I9 and 20 fixed thereon. Fixed on the shaft II and aligned with the sprocket wheel I9 there is a sprocket wheel 2| and over the sprocket wheels I9 and 2l the .sprocket chain 2'2 operates and transmits rotation from the former to the latter.

Fixed on the shaft I8 there is a conveyor spiral 23 by means of which the grain is conveyed along the trough II toward the outlet end thereof. Leading from this outlet end there is a chute 25 and beneath the trough I'I there is a trough 26 in which an axial shaft 21 is mounted. One end of this shaft 2'I extends beyond the body and has a sprocket wheel 28 fixed thereon which is aligned with the sprocket Wheel 2li and a sprocket chain 29 operates over said wheels and transmits rotation from the former to the latter. Also xed on the shaft 21 there is a sprocket wheel 30 and within the trough 26 and fixed on said shaft there is the spiral 3|. This spiral moves the grain along the troughy 25 3 toward the discharge end thereof and leading from said discharge end there is a discharge chute 32 and beneath chute there is a trough t3 into which the grain is delivered through the chute 32.

Mounted in the trough 33 there is an axial shaft Sli on which the spiral 35 is fixed. One end of the shaft 3d projects beyond the body and has a sprocket wheel :it fixed thereon which is aligned with the sprocket wheel 30 and a sprocket chain 3l operates over these sprocket Wheels and transmits rotation from the former to the latter. Also iixed on the shaft 34 there is a sprocket wheel 3 Beneath the trough 33 there is a trough 3S and leading from the discharge end of the trough 33 into the inlet end ci the `trough 13.9 v

there is a chute d.

Mounted axially in the trough 3Q there is a shaft fil, one end of which is extended beyond the body ahd ixed on said extended end are the sprocket wheeis 2, 43. The sprocket AWheel i2 is aligned with the sprocket Wheel 38 and operating over them is the sprocket chain @la which transmits rotation from the former -to the latter. The numeral l5 designates a driving shaft which may be connected with the -motor of the vehicle by means .of which the drier isv transported and this shaft [l has the sprocket wheel d6 Xed thereon and aligned with the sprocket Wheel i3 and a sprocket chain @El opern ates over these aligned sprocket wheels and transmits rotation from the Wheel 4G to the Wheel 3.

Fixed on the shaft il Within the trough 3 there is a spiral it which moves the grain along said trough from its inlet end to its discharge end and leading from the discharge end thereof there is a down spout i9 which has the branches '50,60 through which the dried grain maybe discharged into sacks. rEhe-se branches are controlled by the valve 5l by means of which they :may be alternatively opened and closed. rThe down spout 439 is also provided with a gate valve ,52 by means of which it may be completely closed if it be desired to rerun the grain through the drier.

rEhe shafts 5, li, i3, 2?, .33, 4l and 65 are mounted to rotate in suitable bearings in the body at the ends ol the respective troughs and it will ybe noted that the troughs through the chamber are open above so as to expose the grainto .the warm air in the chamber and itwill be noted that the grain will be moved back and forth along said troughs from the inlet thereof into the trough 'i5 until 'the discharge thereof from the trough 39 and the grain being moved .along said troughs will be agitated by thelconveyor spirals so `as to expose it to the `heated air'in said chamber.

.It may befound necessary to 'rerun the grain in case it has not been suiciently-.dried -by vone run through the drying chamber. 'For that reason an elevating tube '53 has been provided alongside the body. Its Vlower end .is connected into the dov/n spout fis above the gate valve :52. It

vhas an axial shaft 54 mounted to rotate in end bearings carried by the tube and sed yon -this shaft 5t is the elevator spiral 55.v The elevator vtube 53 terminates in `a .downwardly directed lchute 5S which is arranged to discharge grain Xed thereon thereis abevel .gear wheel 5l which .is `in mesh with and drives a similar vbevel gear wheel 5E which is Xedon-one end .of astub shaft a9. This stub shaft mounted .to rotate vin .a

suitable bearing in a bracket ii which may be xed to the down spout @9. The other end of the shaft 59 has a sprocket wheel 6l xed thereon which is aligned with a similar sprocket Wheel 62 which is xed on the lower end of the shaft '54 and operating over these sprocket Wheels ,6E and 62 and transmitting rotation from the former to the latter there is a sprocket chain 63.

.Should it be desired to rerun'the grain the gate Valve 52 may be closed and the grain will then be ,picked up from the down spout it and elevated through the tube 53 and discharged into the adjacent hopper 5. rEhe clutch i2 may then be suitably manipulated to operatively connect the corresponding shaft of this hopper with the driving mechanism and the grain redelivered to said hopper will then be passed through the drier from trough to trough from above, downwardly as hereinabove indicated.

As indicated in Figure 3 tie conveying troughs are arranged in diagonal relation from above, downwardly so that the lower or discharge trough Will be arranged alongside the side wall of the body and arranged underneath. the series of conveying troughs there is a suitable heater bil containing a gas burner which may be supplied with gas from a tank @d mounted on the outside of the chamber. `However any suitabletypel of heating equipment may befprovided. Y

There is hinged dooril mounted in. one side of the body and normally held closed by a latch 58 whereby access may be obtained to the interior of the drying chamber.

It Will be noted that all oi' the troughs beneath the hoppers are located wholly within the .drying chamber and are open so as to give afmaximum exposure to the grain, or other material passing alongthe troughs.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while the broad principie of the invention will .be dened by the appended-claims.

What we claim is: Y

1. A grain drier comprising. a closedv body containing a drying chamber, hoppers forming the top of the body and extending vfrom end to end thereof, a .conveyer in each hopper, a series y.of conveyors extending across said chamber and arranged in diagonal relation from above down.; Wardly with the drying chamber beneath said series, a chute leading from an upper to a lower conveyor, a ,chute leading from each hopper to the upper conveyor, discharge fmeans leading Afrom the lower conveyor, a conveyor leading from said discharge means and arranged to convey grain from the discharge means into one ofthe hoppers and means Afor heating the chamber.

2. Agrain drier comprising, a closed bodycon- .taining a drying chamber, a pair of hoppers vrforining the top of `the chamber, a single seriesof troughs across the chamber and arranged yin diagonal relation at different elevations, conveying means in the hoppers andV in the troughs whereby material to be dried may be delivered from a selected hopper to a trough and from trough to trough 1from above .dowrnvardly,v an outlet leading from the bottom trough, means'for .closing said outlet, an elevator leading frornthe outlet and arranged to return the material de= livered to the outlet into oner oi the hoppers.

3. A. drier for grain .and similar material .coinprising, a closed body having a drying chamber therein, Ahoppers on body, a single series of troughs, means for causing movement of material, alternatively, from the hoppers through said chutes to the corresponding trough, means for moving said material from the last mentioned trough through the other troughs successively, a discharge chute leading from the nal trough and means for heating the chamber.

4. A drier for grain and similar material comprising, a closed body having a drying chamber therein, hoppers on the body and extending from 10 end to end thereof, a single series of troughs in the chamber beneath the hoppers arranged in diagonal relation from above downwardly rand disposed above said chamber, chutes leading from the hoppers into one of said troughs, means for causing movement of material, alternatively,

v from the hoppers through said chutes to the corresponding trough, means for moving said material from the last mentioned trough through vthe other troughs successively, a discharge chute 6 leading from the iinal trough, lIne/ans for driving said moving means and means for heating the chamber. if

v ROBERT J. STAPLES, Sn.

HENRIETTATAPLES.

REFERENCES Orr-n The following references arebfofv record in the file of this patient:

UNrrED STATES PATnN-Ts 

